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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Slammin' Oct 04, 2009
If you like Hall and Oates at all, then this is a must have. It has two versions of I Can't Go For That. It is one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
I can go for this! Jan 13, 2008
Another toppest album from Hall and Oates' golden years. Has the hard to find classics: "Friday Let Me Down", "Ungaurded Minute", "Head Above Water", and the song that gets me every time "Did it in a Minute".
If you haven't heard those songs, you are missing out.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Identical to the US remaster Feb 05, 2006
If you are looking to get this album, don't spend the extra money on this import. It is identical to the US remaster and bonus tracks. The remaster credits in the liner notes are the same as the US remaster. The only difference here is that you get a Japanese mini booklet with a translation and some liner notes in Japanese. If you speak Japanese, go right ahead.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Rock n' roll with rocking soul Jan 12, 2006
The BMG 2004 reissue of "Private Eyes" brings out the sharpness in what is already one of Hall and Oates' most important albums. There's not a clunker in any of the 11 original songs and two remixes, from the title track to the 12-inch version of "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)."
The sound reproduction, cleaner than either the original RCA CD or 1996 BMG reissue, also lets listeners hear how the duo tried to balance technology and sound effects with live instrumentation, never letting one take over the other. Even when the song is almost all computer and synth -- "I Can't Go For That" -- it's done with such balance that it still sounds perfect a quarter century later. You can hear Daryl and John coming into their own as songwriters and producers.
The reissue also gives the band's fans a chance to hear lost gems sounding better than ever -- especially "Looking For a Good Sign" and "Unguarded Minute." They can also debate the merits of the original "Your Imagination" version vs. its 12-inch remix. While the pounding, heavily-electronic remix was the basis for the single and MTV versions of the song, the album mix (with its acoustic drums and cymbals) wins out on sheer quality.
Also dig Ken Sharp's liner notes, which give listeners an interesting window into the duo's working dynamic, especially from Neil Kernon, their co-producer here and on "H2O."
It's hard to improve on a classic, but BMG does so here.
4 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Been wondering about the U.S. remasters vs. the expensive Japanese K2 RM's? Aug 06, 2005
Well, here's your answer: The Japanese win. Hands down. Big time.
To start off, I compared the album tracks of the 2004 U.S. remastered versions of VOICES, H20 & BIG BAM BOOM against the limited edition, Japanese, K2 remastered, album mini-LP-sleeve replication versions of the same titles. Then I compared the bonus track remixes on each U.S. remaster to their counterparts on the Japanese-only 12-INCH COLLECTION, VOLUMES 1 & 2.
The comparisons were performed using two Sony XA7 decks run via identical Acoustic Zen coax cables to a Camelot Uther DAC. Those of you who know your gear know that this is about as good as it gets under $25,000.
I cannot attest if the difference between the two remastering results are a result of:
1.) The K2 process being more robust than whatever mastering equipment was used (at Sony Studios in NYC) for the U.S. versions
2.) Whether the Japanese utilized source material closer to the original masters than the U.S. versions, or
3.) If the Japanese engineering was just better, or they took more time & care, than their U.S. counterparts.
Whatever the case may be, the K2 albums, and the two Japanese remix Collections, blow the U.S. versions out of the building. There is more of everything: More gain, bigger soundstage, more definition and, oh yeah, baby, more bottom end. The remixes on the U.S. versions are adequate; on the Japanese COLLECTION CD's, they THUNDER.
The three U.S. titles have nine additional remix tracks. All of these tracks appear on the two Japanese COLLECTION titles. All of the sonic accolades I attributed to the individual K2 album remasters apply to these two CDs also.
The bottom line? If you're a fan of the band, you have the cash and some above-average gear, the K2's and the dual-remix CD's are the ticket. While the entire RCA H&O catalog is available on the limited edition K2's (with the nice mini-LP sleeves), there would be some serious moolah required to acquire the full set. I consider the 3 titles mentioned here to be their best overall work from that period, so I opted for just those.
I'm currently piling thru all of the "Hits" packages from recent years to determine which has the best audio. It will be interesting to run the 2004 "Ultimate" set against the new "Essential" package.
WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?
Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.
Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.
Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.
Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.
All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.
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